


Don't Go To Bed Angry

by Kandakicksass



Series: Dying (to see you in the) Light [4]
Category: Dying Light (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-06
Updated: 2015-09-06
Packaged: 2018-04-19 07:01:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4737110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kandakicksass/pseuds/Kandakicksass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kyle returns from the school, finds out that Jade knows about his sort-of-relationship with her brother, and then tries to convince said brother not to get himself killed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Go To Bed Angry

**Author's Note:**

> This is probably the point where I say that while I'm posting these all separately, this fic is part of a series and will make a lot more sense if you read the first three parts.

His first priority once he returns from the school is to find Jade. When he does, she looks relieved to see him, curled up against the wall in the headquarters area. She’s resting there, looking a little tired but alive. The explosives they’d found in the school basement are nowhere to be found.

“Crane! You’ve talked to Rahim?”

He pauses and almost backs up. Then he reminds himself that he’s a grown man who can handle a little confrontation. “No, not yet. I just wanted to make sure you got back alright.” She still looks tense, but nods. “You know he’s probably not going to listen to me, even after I do talk to him? It would be a better plan to hide those explosives from him for now.”

Jade bites her lower lip. “He already knows, Crane. But, he _will_ listen to you. He trusts you, and he doesn’t get close to a lot of people. That means something.”

He sighs. “That doesn’t mean he’s going to listen to me. He seems dead set on this, Jade.”

There’s a long silence, and then Jade tells him quietly, “My brother has a crush on you. He’ll listen.”

Kyle closes his eyes and mutters “fuck” under his breath. He comes a little closer and sits cross-legged on the floor in front of her. “That doesn’t mean he’s going to listen to anything I say.”

Her gaze is hard. “He will. Do you really understand what I’m saying? Rahim has a _crush_ on you. He wants to kiss you and protect you and fawn after you like a little puppy.” She makes a sound that would be disgust, if she weren’t talking about the little brother she adored so much.

He sighs, slouching a little. “I know that, Jade. It’s… it’s not a problem.”

She straightens, her hard expression turning to something akin to fury. She didn’t look truly angry at him, but it was clear this conversation wasn’t making her happy. “You like him as well?” When he doesn’t reply, she groans. “This isn’t a good idea, Crane.”

“Because he’s your brother?”

“Because of what’s happening around us!” she snaps, making a vague gesture with her had. “What do you think he’ll do, Crane, if something happens to you? You’re always out on runs, always in danger…”

Kyle sees where she’s coming from, and something very sad clenches in his chest. “If that’s what you’re worried about, it’s too late. I care about him, Jade, and he cares about me. Even if nothing else happens between us, the feelings are already there. It’ll get worse, yeah, but it’s already going to hurt like hell if one of us dies.”

“ _Nothing else_?” she repeats, incredulously. “What’s already happened?”

He turns pink. “I don’t think that’s –“

“C _rane_.”

“We just kissed, okay?” It’s his turn to groan, and he covers his face in his hands, suddenly exhausted. “It was all kid-friendly.”

She makes a face at him, but doesn’t press. “Just… go find him, okay? He won’t listen if I warn him off the nest again but he should listen to you.”  She extends her leg to kick him lightly in the shin.

“Jade,” he tries again, but she kicks him a second time.

“Go convince my brother not to kill himself,” she says, no room for argument, and he goes with his metaphorical tail between his legs.

Rahim, as it turns out, is on the roof again, sitting on a fan and kicking his legs gently. When he spots Kyle, that huge grin lights up his face, and he hops down to meet Kyle halfway.

He doesn’t immediately lean in for a kiss or anything like that, but he stands a foot away with a beaming smile, his hands reaching out like they’re not sure what they’re doing. Kyle helps him out; he steps forward and places his hands on Rahim’s upper arms, smiling back. In spite of the embarrassment from his talk with Jade, it does feel good to be back here, safe with Rahim. The boy sets his hands on Kyle’s waist, and finally he does lean up on his toes to press a gentle kiss to Kyle’s mouth.

“You’re back,” he murmurs, voice deep and slightly husky. Kyle lets his hand come up to Rahim’s neck, to cup the indentions where throat meets jaw, and kisses him back with a little more force, opening Rahim’s mouth with his tongue.

When he pulls back, Rahim is still grinning at him. “Yeah,” Kyle agrees. “I’m back.”

Rahim kisses him one more time before drawing away. “By the way – good job at the school! Sa’id told me about the explosives you guys found.” He beams at Kyle again, but Kyle’s smile takes some effort to keep up. “How perfect is that? Jade gave them to him – Sa’id used to be on a bomb squad, so he knows about that stuff.”

Kyle follows him, closer to the fan where he’d been sitting. “Yeah, kid. That was a lucky find. Would have been better to turn up some Antizin, though.”

Rahim doesn’t seem to care, or even hear him. “My buddy Omar’s making sure Sa’id’s putting good timers on those things. We have to be able to get our asses out of there before they blow.”

He _knows_ that he needs to tread carefully, but he’s protesting before he even thinks about it. “Whoa – we? There’s no ‘we’ in this. I mean, yeah, that nest needs to go. And now it’s possible… but if it gets done, I’m doing it on my own.” Rahim’s face falls. Now that they’ve evolved into _whatever_ they are, Rahim is being totally open with him, and Kyle hates to see the hurt and frustration in his expression.

“But it’s my plan!” he argues, reaching out and taking a handful of Kyle’s shirt. It’s not violent, just a way to secure him and get closer, like that will change Kyle’s mind.

“And I will execute it perfectly, I promise,” he replies gently, covering Rahim’s hand with his own. “But I’m not taking you out there – and not to a fucking volatile nest. It’s too dangerous.”

Rahim looks like he’s about to cry. “But – ah, shit. There’s no arguing with you, is there?” He rips his hand away, stalks back to the fan and hops up, bowing his head and determinedly not looking at Kyle. “Fine. I’ll contact you as soon as Sa’id’s finished with the charges.”

He sighs. “Rahim, do we have a deal?”

“I guess.”

“ _Do we have a deal_?”

Rahim snaps at him, head raising just to glare at him. “Yes, we have a deal.”

He doesn’t like Rahim’s anger, but he’d rather Rahim be angry at him than dead, which is exactly where his stupid plan is going to take him. “One more thing… I keep seeing this bizarre kind of infected. Is Dr. Zere out at his trailer? I’d like to talk to him about it.”

“Nah,” Rahim mutters, ducking his head again. “He’s down in Sickbay, visiting Dr. Lena.” His voice is deceptively neutral, but Kyle knows he’s pissed. Kyle would be, too – but this isn’t about him. This is about keeping Rahim safe.

He comes up to Rahim, knowing that he’s not going to get the kind of goodbye he wants. He still takes Rahim’s face in his hands and raises it to the light again. Rahim won’t look at him, eyes off to the side defiantly, but Kyle presses another soft kiss to his lips anyway. It feels so familiar – too familiar, for a not-even relationship that’s less than a month old, but Kyle supposes that’s what happens in situations like these. Everyone takes what they can get where they can get it.

“Thanks, kid,” he says. “I’ll see you soon.” He strokes his thumb over Rahim’s cheek one more time before withdrawing.

He’s almost back inside when he hears Rahim call after him. “Stay safe, Kyle.” He looks back over his shoulder, and Rahim’s still not looking at him, but his knuckles are clenched over the edge of his makeshift seat so hard the skin lightens from the pressure.

“Don’t worry about me, Rahim,” he responds. “I’ll probably head out again sometime soon, but – I’ll check in, okay? Every night.”

He knows the kid is still angry, but Rahim looks a little relieved. “Every night. I’ll… I’ll talk to you tonight, then. If you head out before then.”

“Yeah,” he answers, just loud enough for Rahim to hear. He turns away without another goodbye, no matter how much he wants another innocent kiss, to find Dr. Zere.

 


End file.
